Powerline contact monitoring and alert system

Abstract

A device for monitoring and alerting for contact of an object with a line strung between two upright posts includes a housing having a body and a mounting portion extending from the body. A mount is positioned in the mounting portion. A camera is positioned on the mounting portion for downward viewing of the line. A processor is positioned in the housing and an accelerometer is positioned in the housing in operable communication with the processor. The device includes a power supply operably connected to the processor. When the device is positioned on the line and the accelerometer senses movement of the device, the accelerometer generates and transmits a signal to the processor. The processor analyses the signal to determine whether the signal meets a threshold and, if the threshold is met, the processor generates and transmits an alarm signal to a receiving device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for monitoring and alerting for contact of an object with a line strung between two upright posts, the device comprising:
 a housing, the housing having a body and at least a first and second mounting portion spaced apart from each other and extending upwardly from the body;   a mount positioned in each of the first and second mounting portions;   a processor in the housing;   an accelerometer in the housing in operable communication with the processor, wherein the accelerometer communicates with the processor to generate one or more signals based on a rate of movement of the accelerometer and an orientation or angle of the accelerometer;   a power supply operably connected to the processor; and   a camera positioned in each of the first and second mounting portions, the cameras positioned above the mounts in each of the mounting portions to provide a downward view of a line on which the device is mounted,   wherein when the device is positioned on the line and the accelerometer senses movement of the device, the processor analyzes the rate of movement of the accelerometer and the orientation or angle of the accelerometer to determine whether the movement meets or exceeds a threshold of movement associated with an alert state and, if the threshold is met or exceeded, the processor generates and transmits an alarm signal to a receiving device.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , including a plurality of accelerometers. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the power supply is a battery. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device generates and transmits the alarm signal via a wireless protocol. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the wireless protocol is one or more of WIFI, WAN, LAN, long range (LoRa) communications, cellular transmission, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the wireless protocol is cellular transmission. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , further including a transmitter. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second mounting portions each form an upstanding post that includes a recess configured to receive the line. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein an image captured by at least one of the cameras is transmitted to the receiving device responsive to determining that the signal meets or exceeds the threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cameras positioned in each of the mounting portions are positioned on an outer wall of the respective mounting portions. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cameras positioned in each of the mounting portions are positioned vertically above a location at which the device is mounted to the line. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second mounting portions are integral with the body of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring and alerting for contact of an object with a line strung between two upright posts, the method comprising:
 mounting a monitoring and altering device on a line, wherein the device comprises a housing having a body and at least a first and second mounting portion spaced apart from each other and extending upwardly from the body, and wherein each of the first and second mounting portions include a camera positioned vertically above a location at which the device is mounted to the line;   detecting movement of the line via at least one accelerometer of the device;   generating one or more signals based on a rate of movement of the at least one accelerometer and an orientation or angle of the at least one accelerometer;   determining that the movement of the line meets or exceeds a threshold of movement associated with an alert state based on at least the rate of movement of the at least one accelerometer and an orientation or angle of the at least one accelerometer; and   responsive to determining that the movement of the line meets or exceeds the threshold of movement associated with an alert state, capturing an image by at least one of the cameras included in the first and second mounting portions and transmitting a notification to a receiving device, wherein the notification includes the image.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including awakening the device from the standby mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein following transmitting the message, returning the device to a standby mode. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the notification is a message. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the notification is transmitted via a wireless protocol. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the wireless protocol is one or more of WIFI, WAN, LAN, long range (LoRa) communications, cellular transmission, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the wireless protocol is cellular transmission. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the notification comprises an alert or an alarm. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the receiving device comprises a maintenance station or a user device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein transmitting the notification to the receiving device comprises transmitting a text message to a user device.